


Favourite Voice

by grossnoona



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Drabble, Falling In Love, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, None of this is actually canon, Selective Muteness, just a tiny bit so its not like we're doing the normal level of angst i do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24065653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grossnoona/pseuds/grossnoona
Summary: Ever since Mao was small, he had already decided whose voice he loved the most in the world.It was strange. Maybe it was a little stupid to decide that quickly. Maybe he should have thought a little bit more. Maybe he should have considered what would happen if those feelings changed over a course of time. Though, it’s not like any of those questions mattered.Even now, Mao is still in love with Ritsu’s voice.
Relationships: Isara Mao/Sakuma Ritsu
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Grossnoona here and I haven't slept all night (dude why) _I have no idea_  
>  just kidding, I've been unwell lately so my body is uncomfortable again but that's okay bc today i bring!!! maorits headcanons!! specifically!! ritsu having selective muteness?? idk its just smth i assumed he had bc lmao idk??  
> plus, i so happen to had it (kind of still have it actually but its improved _slowly_ ) so i just slapped some thoughts abt it but i made it mao's pov bc sdnd idk i just wanted to write how it feels to be the first trusted person (outside the family) to hear ritsu's voice bc that stuff is both sweet and shows how much trust ritsu has in mao  
> i thought it would be nice  
> also, everything in this fic is p much fabricated--nothing in this fic is canon (obviously) so i hope you enjoy!!

Ritsu used to not speak, Mao knew that very well. 

Mao remembered the first time he met Ritsu, the other would never respond to Mao’s questions. He’d just stare at the younger in confusion before looking down at his hands as if trying to find an answer but when he opens his mouth, nothing comes out. It was such a strange experience, Mao remembered regarding it as that. Mao didn’t know what to do when he was met with an embarrassed face and silence.

Mao always remembered Ritsu looking at him apologetically whenever that happened. Mao could read Ritsu’s face enough to know he always felt sorry for not being able to reply.

At first, Mao was pretty annoyed by the lack of response. It always seemed like the other was ignoring him or mocking him but that wasn’t the case at all. Ritsu just didn’t know how to respond to Mao with his voice. It left Mao forced to read Ritsu’s face for answers. 

It was a hard thing to get used to but Mao got the hang of reading Ritsu soon enough.

It took awhile for Mao and the other kids at the park to even hear the slightest bit of Ritsu’s voice. Mao remembered having friends huddled at the park, asking each other what Ritsu’s voice sounded like. No one could ever figure it out. They’d exchange answers among each other but none of them seemed right.

To them, Ritsu’s voice was the biggest mystery in the world.

“ _ Ah. _ ”

That was the first thing Ritsu ever said to anyone. It was to announce how he had to go back home early, he tried to frantically squeeze his voice out but nothing came until he decided to use a notepad to explain himself. A nifty thing Mao gifted Ritsu, it was a miracle that Ritsu lived so long enough without one. Mao used to wonder if that was why Ritsu left his house so rarely before Mao took him with him.

“‘ _I have to go home early. My grandmother is coming over,_ ’ is what he wrote.” Mao had always been the one to read aloud or translate Ritsu’s messages. They were always in simple sentences as if he didn’t want to pressure Mao into reading difficult sentences. Though, now that Mao thought about it, Ritsu probably only wrote in simple sentences because that’s all he could manage to write without making a mistake. Mao wondered if both of the reasons were true.

Regardless, their friends always praised Mao for being able to communicate with Ritsu.

Mao remembered the next day, all of their friends would huddle in a circle and talk about Ritsu’s voice. It sounded soft, high-pitched and a bit like his own appearance―in a way, everyone didn’t believe Ritsu could possess such a voice. They would share opinions about how it suited Ritsu’s soft appearance. Mao liked it a lot. He couldn’t explain why. He just did.

If possible, he’d like to hear it once more.

Mao remembered the second time he heard it again. Ritsu came by to play. They were coloring pages as the radio played some pop tune that Mao couldn’t clearly remember. He just remembered Ritsu liking it a lot. Though he wasn’t able to hum it, the way he swayed his head to the beat, made it seem like _ he was _ .

“Hey, Ritchan―can I ask you a question?” Mao asked all of a sudden. Mao watched Ritsu stop coloring to look at Mao and tilt his head in confusion.  _ What’s the question? _ was written on his face.

“Can I hear your voice?”

Ritsu scrunched his face up, unsure what Mao’s request meant. He didn’t understand why Mao wanted to hear Ritsu’s voice. If anything, he felt uncomfortable when Mao came up to him. Mao didn’t mean to scare him. He was just curious about Ritsu’s voice.

“I wanna hear Ritchan’s voice,” Mao explained bluntly.   
  


Ritsu wrote out ‘ _ Why? _ ’ on the page he was coloring.

Mao shrugged. He likes it, that’s all he could say. He wanted to hear more of it. He wanted to hear what Ritsu sounds like when he calls Mao’s name. He wanted to hear Ritsu say  _ Mao _ or anything. He just wanted to hear Ritsu’s voice.

Ritsu lips thinned out. Mao wondered if Ritsu was going to flat out refuse. Maybe he wanted to hide behind Mao’s mother, trying to explain to her that Mao scared him. Mao didn’t want that. He didn’t want that at all. He quickly tried to explain that Ritsu didn’t have to talk if he didn’t want to, Mao wasn’t going to force Ritsu’s voice out of him. He’s not that kind of friend. He never wants to be that kind of friend.  _ Especially to Ritsu. _

“ _ Ma-kun _ .”

Mao stopped his rambling when he heard Ritsu squeak it out. To be honest, Ritsu’s voice sounded extremely weak when they were kids. It was definitely due to the fact that it was rarely used. It had no strength and it almost came off as more of a noise than actually saying a name. Had it not been Mao who heard this, someone might think Ritsu was just trying to make some weird noise with his voice as you could barely distinguish the syllables.

_ Even then, Mao was mesmerized by it _ .

Ritsu looked embarrassed, probably not wanting to say it again. Maybe he was self-conscious over his voice at the time. Mao never found out why he felt that way, to be honest. All Mao knew was Ritsu got Mao’s name wrong. Mao’s name barely sounded like his name. It was supposed to be  _ Mao-kun _ , not just  _ Ma-kun. _

Of course, Ritsu felt embarrassed when Mao pointed that out. Ritsu didn’t realise that at all.

Ritsu tried to let out a voice, maybe he thought he could explain himself with his voice but that didn’t work out. Mao didn’t feel offended by the lack of one syllable in his name, actually. He just wondered if Ritsu even knew how to pronounce Mao’s name. Though it seemed like Ritsu was aware but he didn’t realise it. Mao didn’t want Ritsu to feel bad about it, though. It’s not really a big deal.

“Don’t worry! You can call me  _ Ma-kun _ , if you want!” Mao quickly reassures, he clasps his hands tightly around Ritsu’s.  _ Ma-kun _ , Mao will get used to the nickname. He knows he will learn to adore it as much as he adores Ritsu. It’s a nickname that Ritsu chose out for Mao so it was obvious Mao was going to accept it willingly.

Ritsu gives Mao a stiff nod as Mao smiled warmly. 

_ Ma-kun _ . Mao liked it best when Ritsu called him that. No one else could call Mao that except for Ritsu, Mao made sure of that. He doesn’t know why, he just did. Maybe it was the fact that Ritsu used to reserve his voice for that name alone. It was only ever used to say  _ Ma-kun _ . Mao liked that, for some weird reason. It seemed a little selfish, though.

Even when Mao started hearing Ritsu’s voice more often in public, it’s not like Ritsu got a hand of sentences as well as others. Some sentences need to be rearranged so people understood what Ritsu meant properly. Some were missing certain words, typically the keywords that would change the meaning of that sentence. Others were just complete gibberish to most. To put it lightly, Ritsu was just overall terrible at talking.

Somehow, just like when Ritsu didn’t speak, Mao was the only one who understood Ritsu’s nonsensical sentences. Just like when they were younger, Mao was praised for understanding Ritsu with very little mistranslation in between.

Mao never knew why. Maybe he just paid  _ enough _ attention to Ritsu that he picked up what those gestures and words meant even if they’re all over the place. Maybe it was due to the fact that Mao has known Ritsu for so long, such issues were barely visible to him. Maybe it was both. Mao doesn’t know, really. He just never found out why.

_ Not like it mattered _ .

By the end of it all, Mao liked Ritsu’s voice. He liked it  _ a whole lot _ . Ritsu could ramble his ear off and Mao would listen to it intently. Mao never cared much about the topic. As long as Ritsu wanted to talk about it, Mao was fine with it. Mao didn’t care about how many weird turns Ritsu’s sentences took. Mao didn’t care about how Ritsu would fumble over his words, as he embarrassedly looked up the pronunciation on his phone. Mao didn’t care about Ritsu losing the words to his sentences, telling Mao to give him a minute as he tried to recollect his words again. Mao could wait for hours till Ritsu gets it right, he didn’t mind at all.

Mao didn’t care about anything like that. All he ever wanted to do is listen to Ritsu’s voice.

To him, that’s all that ever mattered. What a funny thing, Mao thought as he watched Ritsu sigh to himself about work.

Though, Mao is aware that he isn’t the only one that likes Ritsu’s voice now. There are so many others who love Ritsu’s voice. Knights fall in love with Ritsu’s singing that can lull them to sleep. Ritsu’s friends enjoy the sound of Ritsu’s laughter as it rings loudly in the air. Ritsu’s fans cheer loudly when they hear him sing to them on stage. Everyone loves Ritsu’s voice now.

Ritsu’s voice is no longer something for him to keep to himself. It’s now for everyone to hear and appreciate. To say Mao isn’t jealous, it’s a bit of a lie but Mao can’t keep it to himself. That’s terrible. Ritsu’s voice is his own. What he wishes to do with his voice is not for Mao to decide at all. Mao is not that kind of person.

Even when he says that there are moments where Mao feels the same feeling he felt when he first heard Ritsu’s soft voice.

Though the scenery isn’t the same anymore, the feeling still remains the same. The way Ritsu comfortably rests his head on Mao’s chest as he carefully threads his hands with his, Mao can’t help but feel his heart flutter. Mao can feel Ritsu press his cheek deeper into Mao’s chest as Mao chuckles at the sight.

“ _ Ma-kun, _ ” Ritsu whispers that nickname like it was a secret between the two. That voice―Though the syllables pronounced are clearer than before, it still stumbles a little. The nickname still sounds like one noise, instead of an actual nickname.

Mao never understood why Ritsu insists on pronouncing Mao’s nickname like that, even though he has pronounced Mao’s nickname clearly before.

Mao frowns confusedly at Ritsu who giggled. Mao didn’t understand what was so funny about Ritsu mispronouncing his nickname. The entire situation felt oddly familiar to the second time Mao heard Ritsu’s voice. Ritsu’s favourite song playing in the background as Mao frowned at Ritsu. Mao exasperatedly sighs as he connects the dots.

“You didn’t realise it at all, didn’t you?” Mao asked as Ritsu laughed embarrassedly. He didn’t realise that mistake until Mao pointed it out again. Ritsu didn’t know he even pronounced Mao’s name as one sound. He thought he got rid of that habit a long time ago. Usually, he’s pretty conscious of his pronunciation but it seemed like Mao’s nickname is still the hardest one to properly pronounce. Guess old habits die hard.

Mao smiles warmly when Ritsu sits up and explains how he would admit that he’s very proud of how far his pronunciation on things has come. The fact that Mao’s name is the only problem he has, proves he can talk  _ properly _ . No more for Mao translating everything. Ritsu looked smug as Mao laughed at the other.

Mao pulls Ritsu into a hug by tugging his waist. What a cocky brat, Mao thought as Ritsu giggled in his arms.

Both of them knew that Ritsu not needing Mao’s help in translating sentences is a fucking lie. Sure, Ritsu can talk better than before but just how many times have TV shows highlighted his mispronunciations? It’s almost like mispronunciations is his gimmick on variety shows. Sometimes, if a host gets curious, they’ll bring it up when Mao comes on those same variety shows. They always note that Mao’s pronunciation is  _ a lot _ better than Ritsu’s.

Ritsu whines how that’s because Mao started talking at a younger age than Ritsu. It’s only expected that Mao was going to be better than Ritsu at talking. It’s unfair to compare the two, Ritsu whined at Mao who laughed amusingly.

There’s a small moment of silence. It looks as if Ritsu was contemplating something important. Mao wondered why.

“ _ To be honest, I like Ma-kun’s voice a lot _ .” Ritsu says that like an embarrassing secret. The way he gets embarrassed as he fumbles over his words, it makes Mao’s heart skip a beat. The way Ritsu tries to piece words together as he tries to describe Mao’s voice, it falls all over the place. He’s just too embarrassed to properly explain it. He just likes it a lot.  _ A whole lot _ .

Mao’s laughter causes Ritsu’s face to turn red. He’s embarrassed and he’s fumbling with his voice, unable to voice anything out. He struggles to squeeze something out but it’s a mess. The normal kind of mess Sakuma Ritsu is to him. Mao apologises with a kiss, he didn’t mean to embarrass Ritsu. That wasn’t his intention.  _ Kinda _ .

“ _ I like your voice too―There’s nothing I want to hear more than yours, Ritchan. _ ”

Mao kisses Ritsu as he wraps his arms around Ritsu’s waist. The way he giggles with red-tinted cheeks, Mao wonders if saying that shakes away any insecurity Ritsu has regarding his voice. Though Mao will never understand why Ritsu is embarrassed about his voice, he’s more than happy to shower Ritsu in compliments about it. Mao will whisper everything he loves about Ritsu’s voice. Even if it leaves Ritsu red to the tip of his ears, Mao will adore Ritsu’s voice more than anyone else.

  
_ After all, Mao's favourite voice in the world has and will always be Ritsu’s _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly i would write a ritsu pov but let me take a long nap first and ill write it later (for all you know, you might get it today too)  
> also yea you might notice these weirdly specific descs on like talking or pronunciation, thats just me slapping on some ~personal experience~  
> that and also me slapping on some thoughts how ritsu pronounces ma-kun as makun (like as one word) sometimes so yea!!  
> i hope you had fun!! (im going to snep now byebye)  
> (if you want to talk to me, you can [@drunkossan](https://twitter.com/drunkossan))


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nope no summary this time bc its abt the same as mao's pov except ritsu goes "god i was the gayest baby alive"  
> anyway ive been trying to write this drabble for the past couple of days but honestly bc its ritsu's pov, things got personally _WAY TOO FAST_ so i had to rewrite it a couple of times skjdnkd  
> There are still some sspecific points but theyre generalized a little so theyre personal but also _not extremely personal_ so it doesnt make you uncomfortable or anything skjnjds  
> anyway i hope you enjoy!!!

“ _I love you._ ”

The way Mao whispers that to Ritsu―it leaves him breathless. Just how could a voice leave Ritsu feeling all sorts of things? Ritsu doesn’t know. Does Ritsu want to know? Ritsu doesn’t think so. As childish as it seems, he would like to believe Mao’s voice is laced with some sort of spell that worked well on Ritsu.

That spell never wears off. As long as Mao spoke to Ritsu, the spell lived comfortably in Ritsu.

Not that it matters. Ritsu would gladly keep it. Mao’s voice is a voice that Ritsu could fall in love with again and again. Ritsu can’t imagine himself getting tired of it. Every word Mao has ever said, it comes to life in a way Ritsu can’t explain. Ritsu never knows how to explain the magic that Mao’s voice has. It’s a shame, really. As selfish as Ritsu may be, Ritsu still wants to be able to express his love for Mao’s voice to everyone. Ritsu wants to tell Mao how addictive Mao’s voice can be.

How does Ritsu even begin to describe the effect Mao’s voice has on Ritsu?

Ritsu doesn’t even know when it started. He believes it has always been that way. The first minute Mao spoke to Ritsu, Ritsu was already deeply entranced by his voice. Ritsu could never understand how. _He just was_ . It was as alluring as it is now. Ritsu felt like Mao’s voice could light the whole world. Ritsu doesn’t know why. _It just could_.

Ritsu would want to laugh at himself whenever he tries to recall the first thing Mao said to him.

“ _You’re really pretty._ ”

Ritsu doesn’t even know how Ritsu fell in love with that. Really, Ritsu was such a silly kid. Mao was just complimenting Ritsu lightly. He didn’t mean it seriously, Ritsu knew that. Yet Ritsu still fell in love. Just everything about Mao’s voice when he said that made Ritsu’s small heart flutter. The way he says it slowly as if he was taking in Ritsu’s appearance, Ritsu couldn’t help giggle whenever he recalled the red-tinted cheeks Mao had when he said it.

It’s honestly surprising that the magic never wore off as Mao spoke more to Ritsu. If anything, it got stronger. Ritsu tried his best to keep every detail as Mao spoke about things. Be it some comic he was reading or an incident that happened during a visit to his grandparents’, Ritsu tried to keep every detail in his mind. Hoping one day, he could reply back to Mao. Just how Mao always wanted Ritsu to.

To be honest, Ritsu _really_ did try hard to talk to Mao. Whenever Mao would speak to Ritsu alone in Mao’s room, Ritsu would try to reply but it was a lot harder than he thought. His throat would close up, afraid of Mao’s reaction to his voice. What if Mao didn’t like it? What if Ritsu responded incorrectly? What if Mao didn’t want to be friends with Ritsu after hearing his voice? Those kinds of thoughts scare Ritsu. He didn’t like them. He has made countless attempts in whisking them away but it fails terribly every single time. 

That’s why it felt reassuring when Mao asked Ritsu to say his name.

Of course, it scared Ritsu a little. Squeezing a voice out was scary. Ritsu could barely get through his sentences in front of his own family without mumbling and fumbling terribly. Sometimes, talking would tire him out completely. He was never used to it but he _wanted to_. He’s been so desperate to try and talk so he can finally respond to Mao. He wanted to be able to talk to Mao like how their friends talked to him. He wanted to join conversations and laugh with Mao. He wanted to communicate with Mao in a way he wasn’t used to but he was willing to try.

Ritsu forced out a weak voice. It was pretty pathetic, honestly. Ritsu felt bad for not being able to produce a stronger voice. He felt embarrassed for having such a weak and soft voice.

Mao didn’t care it seemed. If anything, he continued to love Ritsu’s voice. He continued to shower Ritsu with love when it came to his voice. Ritsu always felt embarrassed by it. Mao loved it when Ritsu uttered _Ma-kun_ , no matter how embarrassed Ritsu felt about the nickname. Though the embarrassment had worn off due to time, Ritsu still remembers that that nickname was a mispronunciation on Mao’s name. It was a complete accident but Mao never cared. He cherished that name so much. He loved it so much. He wore the nickname like a badge of honor. He wouldn’t let anyone else call him _Ma-kun_ but Ritsu.

It was strange, really. Ritsu didn’t expect Mao to be that serious in taking care of his nickname.

Guess, it’s the same as Ritsu with _Ritchan_ . No one can call Ritsu _Ritchan_ except for Mao. Ritsu wouldn’t respond to it if it wasn’t Mao who said the nickname. There’s just _something_ about Mao when he says _Ritchan_ , that leaves Ritsu completely lovestruck by it. It’s unfair how easy it is for Mao to get Ritsu completely flustered by him. All Mao has to do is whisper _Ritchan_ in his ear and it’d leave me Ritsu melting into a puddle. _How dangerous_.

Does Mao know how easy it is for him to turn Ritsu into a mess? With his voice alone, Ritsu can find himself stuttering and fumbling over his words. Ritsu won’t be able to think straight at all. He’d be looking all over the place instead of directly at Mao because it’s just _so embarrassing_ to mess up his words in front of someone like Mao. It’s just embarrassing that Ritsu can lose words in front of Mao, someone who Ritsu has known for years.

_How is that possible?_

Ritsu doesn’t know, to be honest. Ritsu just knows that he’s stupid for acting this way. He can’t believe his throat can close up and push nothing but air out when Mao gets too close to him. He can’t believe his body can freeze up as his entire face turns red when Mao says something. He can’t believe everything falls apart _so easily_ in front of Mao. It’s a miracle that Mao hasn’t felt off-put or annoyed by these things yet. It used to confuse Ritsu a lot. It really did.

“ _Everything about you―I can’t help but adore everything about you, Ritchan._ ”

Ritsu’s heart skips a beat whenever Mao tells Ritsu that. Mao can’t help but shower Ritsu in love with everything. _Especially for Ritsu’s voice_ . Mao loves telling Ritsu how special Ritsu’s voice is. Mao loves telling Ritsu how happy he is to even hear Ritsu call him by his nickname. Every time Ritsu utters _Ma-kun_ , Mao feels like kissing Ritsu until they’re both breathless. How cheesy of you, Ma-kun.

It’s relieving to hear that. The fact Mao believes Ritsu is just as magical as his own, it’s reassuring.

Ritsu always feels like his voice is far more incompetent than Mao’s. It’s hard to control his own voice sometimes. One minute, he’s too loud. The next minute, he’s too soft. Ritsu struggles to talk at a proper volume. Talking is a struggle. Singing is a struggle. Anything that involves Ritsu’s voice is a struggle. It leaves Ritsu feeling perplexed about his voice. He wished he never started speaking in the first place. It’s just troublesome to deal with these kinds of things. Ritsu hates it. Ritsu wished things weren’t this difficult for him.

Speaking isn’t easy. Your throat closes up on you when a random stranger talks to you, it turns your voice croaky and leaves your throat dry. If you talk, people will assume you sound like a goddamn idiot but if you don’t, people think you’re a pretentious bitch who doesn’t like talking to those _lower than you_. None of that is true. Ritsu doesn’t mean it when it happens. Ritsu doesn’t want people to assume those things.

Ritsu is just― _Ritsu is just scared_.

Ritsu doesn’t know why he’s scared but he just is. It’s stupid, honestly. Ritsu doesn’t know why he’s scared. All that scare does is prevent him from doing work properly. He hates it when he mumbles and fumbles when he tries to reply to a host during shows. He hates it when he spends the most time in the recording studio, messing up the same lines _over and over again_ . Prolonging the preparations for the new single. He hates it when he stumbles over his words during events where Ritsu is supposed to connect with the fans but he ends up messing up his words, probably leaving fans wondering to themselves; _Why is he so goddamn clumsy? You shouldn’t be like this_. It makes Ritsu feel sorry for those who are burdened to help and wait for him to do it properly.

“ _Your voice is perfect―There’s nothing about it that should be changed._ ”

Something about Mao makes Ritsu try to believe in that too. The way Mao talks about how Ritsu is his favourite person to duet with, it makes Ritsu want to get better at using his voice. Every time Mao talks about how just because it’s different from Mao’s voice, it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad voice or how Ritsu shouldn’t be ashamed of his own voice. It makes Ritsu learn to love his voice bit by bit. Ritsu smiles whenever Mao mentions how no one can duet with Mao better than Ritsu. It’s heartwarming to hear that.

Mao’s voice holds so much love. It feels like being given a tight reassuring hug. It’s so comforting and warm, just like Mao himself.

Does Mao know that his voice even sounds like that? Ritsu doubts so.

Mao laughs whenever Ritsu brings it up. Ritsu fumbles as he tries to piece together a description of Mao’s voice. Calloused hands, silver rings, summer, sunsets, and even fireworks―Mao’s voice reminds Ritsu of the outside world where there’s no end to adventure. Ritsu can’t help but feel that way. It’s so mesmerising to hear Mao talk about anything. It feels like you’re being taken on an adventure that you’ve never experienced before. Ritsu doesn’t know why but Ritsu likes it.

“ _Shall I describe your voice too then?_ ”

Ritsu loves it whenever Mao describes Ritsu’s voice. According to Mao, Ritsu's voice sounds like wearing oversized clothes during a cold morning as you consider skipping out on work, even though you shouldn’t but the only reason you're awake is because someone kissed you awake. According to Mao, Ritsu’s voice sounds like pink and purple cotton candy. Soft, fluffy and sweet. According to Mao, Ritsu’s voice sounds like the twinkling of stars late at night that talk to you as you stargaze through your window. All of these kinds of descriptions, it makes Ritsu smile warmly.

Mao can make Ritsu fall in love with his own voice just by hearing it be described by Ritsu’s favourite voice in the world. Mao is magical for being able to do such a thing.

“What about the two of us?” Ritsu asks Mao who hums in confusion. _The two of them?_ , it’s so clearly written on Mao’s face. How funny.

“What do we sound like together?” Ritsu corrects his question. It makes Mao hum thoughtfully. What do we sound like together? Ritsu doesn’t know the answer to that. Ritsu finds himself to focus on Mao’s voice to realise what they sound like together. Ritsu wonders if Mao knows. He probably does. He’s smart enough to know, right?

Mao flops onto his bed with Ritsu in his arms. It’s clear that he’s thinking about it long and hard. Ritsu wonders if he should just tell Mao to forget about it? Ritsu doesn’t want Mao to feel stressed about something as nonsensical as that. It’s fine if neither of them can figure it out. Some things can just remain a mystery. It’s not like they have to figure it now either. It’s just a dumb question, Ritsu thought as he held Mao’s hand.

“We sound like this.”

Ritsu sits up in confusion. They sound like this? What does that even mean? Ritsu looks at Mao confusedly as Mao nods proudfully. They’re like this, Mao repeats as if Ritsu would get the picture if Mao repeats it enough. He doesn’t. If anything, it just adds more confusion. Just explain it, you weirdo.

Instead of explaining it, Mao kisses Ritsu instead. He pulls Ritsu back into bed, carefully threading their hands together.

“ _We sound exactly like our favourite things to do together―Kissing, hand holding and cuddling in bed._ ”

Ritsu looks at Mao for a minute, hoping Mao’s joking but he isn’t. To Mao, their voices together sounds like everything Ritsu loves to do with Mao. How cheesy. It makes Ritsu laugh in embarrassment. It’s so cheesy. Ritsu thinks Mao is the cheesiest person in the world. Why is Ritsu in love with this kind of person? Ritsu doesn’t know. It doesn’t really matter, though.

All that matters is the feeling of Mao holding Ritsu close as they exchange kisses in bed. Ritsu finds himself smiling as wide as he can whenever he hears Mao utter those three words. Really, out of all the things that could be said, those three words are the best said in Mao’s voice.

  
“ **_I love you._ **”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh every time i write ritsu, the fic will always go all over the place which is personally how i think ritsu thinks  
> he just goes all over the place and never knows what hes saying or doing but thats okay, thats why ma-kun is there too help him!! and give him reassures in the form of kisses and hugs haha  
> anyway vocal describing(?) is my favourite thing to do (despite being _terrible at talking _) so this was a fun thing to write!!_  
>  I hope you had fun and thank you for reading!!  
> (if you want, you can talk to me on twt [@drunkossan](https://twitter.com/drunkossan))_


End file.
